Working and Living in Beijing: Coordinating Employee Medical Insurance, Social Security Cards, and Commercial Insurance

Foreign nationals lawfully employed in China must participate in social insurance, including basic employee medical insurance, in accordance with the law. The current Interim Measures require employers to complete social insurance registration for foreign employees within 30 days of obtaining their employment documents. After starting work, employees should verify their enrollment status and start date rather than assuming that deductions on a payslip prove normal enrollment.

Confirm record creation and settlement before seeking care

Ask your employer how to obtain and use a social security card or medical insurance code, and confirm with the hospital its requirements for passport registration, medical insurance settlement, and consistent personal information. After a name or passport number change, check both social security and hospital records. People covered by a bilateral social security agreement should follow that agreement and the administrative requirements rather than assuming all contributions are waived.

Check employer commercial insurance and basic medical insurance separately

Supplementary commercial insurance may involve designated hospitals, preauthorization, and reimbursement documents, and it does not replace an employer's legal obligation to enroll employees in social insurance. Before using direct billing or claiming reimbursement later, confirm the order of medical insurance settlement and commercial insurance claims, and keep settlement statements, invoices, and medical records.

The legal basis is the Interim Measures for Social Insurance Participation by Foreigners Employed in China. For procedures following integration of the work permit and social security card, see the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security notice on document-card integration. Benefits and designated hospitals are subject to current Beijing medical insurance rules.